Thailand condemns Hormuz ship strike, demands Iran apology
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The Thailand-flagged cargo ship Mayuree Naree engulfed in black smoke in the Strait of Hormuz.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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BANGKOK – Thailand denounced the attack on a Thai-flagged vessel in the Strait of Hormuz and demanded that Iran issue an apology, as the authorities race to rescue three crew members feared trapped aboard the damaged ship.
The bulk carrier Mayuree Naree was struck on March 11 by Iranian projectiles while transiting the strategic waterway without cargo. Of the 23 crew members on board, 20 were rescued by the Omani navy after abandoning the vessel in a lifeboat.
The three missing sailors are believed to be trapped in the engine room at the stern, where the ship was hit and a fire broke out, according to its owner Precious Shipping.
During a meeting with Iran’s ambassador on March 12, Ms Sirilak Niyom, deputy permanent secretary of Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, conveyed the country’s “strongest protest” against the strike on the vessel and “requested the Iranian authorities issue a statement of apology and clarify the facts surrounding the incident”, the ministry said in a statement late that day.
Mr Sirilak also expressed hope that a similar incident would not occur again, and ambassador Nassereddin Heidari assured that Thailand’s protest would be promptly relayed to Tehran, according to the statement.
Thai diplomats in Muscat are also working with the Omani authorities on rescue efforts, Foreign Ministry spokesman Panidone Pachimsawat said earlier on March 12.
Thailand was “gravely concerned about the dire situation in the Middle East, precipitated by Israeli and US attacks and followed by retaliation by Iran”, the ministry said in a statement a day earlier. It warned that the ongoing violence risks further escalating tensions in the region and beyond.
“The situation poses serious threats to the lives and safety of innocent civilians,” the ministry said, urging all parties to respect international law, “exercise utmost restraint and immediately de-escalate tensions”.
Separately, the Royal Thai Navy thanked Oman for its role in rescuing the Thai crew and called for continued efforts to locate the three sailors who remain missing, spokesman Paraj Ratanajaipan said. Bloomberg
